Wednesday, September 17th, 2025

Northeast Group: Poised for Growth with Strategic Expansion and Market Recovery

Report Date and Broker Information

  • Date: October 29, 2024
  • Broker: UOB Kay Hian Private Limited

Company Overview

Northeast Group Berhad (NE) is a newly listed precision engineering components manufacturer specializing in the photonics, electronics, semiconductor, telecommunications, and optoelectronics industries. Founded in 2004, NE has developed strong relationships with prominent global listed companies, positioning itself as a reliable supplier with an emphasis on innovation, design, and high-quality manufacturing capabilities.

Stock and Financial Highlights

  • Share Price (RM): 0.615
  • Target Price (RM): 0.88
  • Market Cap: RM 455.1 million (US$104.4 million)
  • 52-Week High/Low: RM 0.615 / RM 0.475
  • Major Shareholders: Mountain Range (53.7%), Ng Chay Chin (4.0%), Chong Ewe Hean (3.5%)

Business Model and Growth Drivers

Northeast Group’s strategy emphasizes technological relevance and collaboration with clients on product development and design. NE’s product portfolio is designed to capitalize on the latest industry trends, including:

  • Fibre Laser Applications: Used in material processing, e-mobility, and medical industries.
  • Telecommunication Components: Includes connectors, switchers, and transceivers for telecom, AI, and data center applications.
  • Base Station and Antenna Technologies: Developed for the latest cellular network standards.
  • Smart Devices: Components designed for next-generation technology developed by globally recognized tech leaders.

Financial Performance and Outlook

  • Revenue Growth: In FY22, NE recorded significant revenue growth of 28%, achieving RM144.5 million before a downturn in FY23 due to macroeconomic challenges.
  • FY23 Decline: Revenue dropped to RM93.3 million, with net profit falling 51% to RM18.4 million.
  • Recovery Projection for FY25: Anticipated growth of 23% in revenue and 39% in core net profit, attributed to cyclical industry recovery, expanded production capabilities, and increased order volumes.
  • Forecasted Financials: A revenue/core net profit CAGR of 13%/21% over the next three years.

Strategic Investments and Capacity Expansion

NE has allocated significant resources to expand its production facilities and increase manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand. Key initiatives include:

  • New Factory Construction: RM40 million (47.3% of IPO proceeds) allocated for a new facility, doubling floorspace to over 435,000 square feet.
  • New Machinery Investments: RM12.38 million allocated to purchase additional CNC machines, enhancing capacity by 13%.
  • Working Capital and Debt Reduction: RM20 million allocated for debt repayment, reducing interest expenses and strengthening NE’s cash position.

Industry Position and Customer Base

NE’s clients are leaders in the photonics and semiconductor sectors, which account for two-thirds of its revenue. The firm’s investments in new product introductions (NPIs) are designed to support mass production, allowing it to capitalize on a rebounding semiconductor market from FY25 onward.

Valuation and Recommendation

  • Valuation: NE trades at a 0.5x PEG for FY25F PE, a 20% discount compared to peers in the semiconductor production equipment sector.
  • Broker Recommendation: UOB Kay Hian maintains a “BUY” recommendation with a target price of RM0.88, supported by NE’s strong fundamentals and expected revenue growth trajectory.

text Download Copy code 1Okay, here’s an attempt to create an SEO title and answer potential user questions based on the provided document: 2 3**SEO title:** 4SEO title: SATS Ltd (SATS SP): Embedded Resilience & FY26F Outlook – CGS International Analysis 5 6**Analysis based on the document:** 7 8Based on the document provided, here’s a summary of key points and potential user questions with answers: 9 10**Key Points:** 11 12* **Company:** SATS Ltd (SATS SP) 13* **Recommendation:** Reiterate Add 14* **Analyst:** TAY Wee Kuang and LIM Siew Khee, CGS International 15* **Key Themes:** Embedded resilience, cargo market share gains, FY26F outlook 16* **Target Price:** S\$3.60 17* **ESG:** Rated B- by LSEG 18 19**Potential User Questions & Answers:** 20 21**Q: What is the overall recommendation for SATS Ltd?** 22A: CGS International reiterates an “Add” recommendation for SATS Ltd. [[1]] 23 24**Q: What is the target price for SATS Ltd, and who set it?** 25A: The target price is S\$3.60, set by CGS International. [[1]] 26 27**Q: What is the basis for the target price?** 28A: The target price is DCF-based (Discounted Cash Flow), with a WACC of 12.2%. [[1]] 29 30**Q: What are the key factors driving the “Add” recommendation?** 31A: The key factor is SATS’s growing market share in cargo handling, which is expected to support earnings growth in FY26F, even with potential global cargo demand weakness. [[1]] 32 33**Q: What is SATS’s ESG rating?** 34A: SATS has an ESG combined score of B- by LSEG. [[1, 5]] 35 36**Q: What were SATS’s 4QFY3/25 financial results?** 37A: SATS reported a 4QFY3/25 net profit of S\$38.7m (+18.3% yoy). Revenue was S\$1.48bn (+10.4% yoy). [[1]] 38 39**Q: What are the potential risks to SATS’s performance?** 40A: Downside risks include margin compression from weaker operating leverage due to softening cargo volumes and a decline in the aviation travel industry due to an economic downturn. [[1]] 41 42**Q: What is the dividend payout?** 43A: SATS declared a final DPS of 3.5 Scts, bringing FY25 total DPS to 5.0 Scts, representing a payout ratio of 30.6%. [[1]] 44 45**Q: What is the earnings growth outlook?** 46A: The report anticipates a 3-year earnings CAGR of 15.0%. [[1]] 47 48**Q: Has the analyst revised earnings estimates?** 49A: Yes, FY26F-27F EPS estimates have been increased by 7.9-8.5%. FY28F estimates are introduced. [[1]] 50 51**Q: What are the catalysts for a potential re-rating?** 52A: Potential re-rating catalysts include an expanded footprint for cargo operations supporting new contract wins and a faster step-up in utilization of its new central kitchens across China and India. [[1]] 53 54**Q: What is SATS’s market capitalization?** 55A: The market cap is US\$3,444m / S\$4,428m. [[1]] 56 57**Q: Who are the major shareholders of SATS?** 58A: Temasek Holdings is a major shareholder, holding 40.4%. [[1]] 59 60**Q: What is SATS’s revenue in Mar-25A?** 61A: SATS’s revenue in Mar-25A is S\$5,821 million. [[1]] 62 63**Q: What are the peers of SATS?** 64A: Airports of Thailand is a peer. [[4]] 65 66**Q: What is the forecast dividend yield for Mar-26F?** 67A: The forecast dividend yield for Mar-26F is 1.85%. [[1]]

CGS International May 26, 2025 SATS Ltd: Embedded Resilience to Tide Through FY26F Key Takeaways from SATS Ltd’s 4QFY3/25 Performance SATS Ltd reported a 4QFY3/25 net profit of S\$38.7m, which is an 18.3% year-over-year...

Wilmar International: A Solid Trading Opportunity

Wilmar International: A Solid Trading Opportunity Stock Recommendation: Rating: Trading Buy Buy Range: S$3.12 – S$3.13 Last Price: S$3.14 Target Price: S$3.35 Protective Stop: S$3.06 Date of Recommendation: September 10, 2024 Broker Company: UOB...

Maybank Research: Singapore Post (SPOST SP) – Special Dividend & Asset Monetization Strategy

Maybank Research Pte Ltd May 16, 2025 Singapore Post Ltd: Special Dividend and Strategic Reset Singapore Post (SingPost) recently reported an underlying loss of SGD0.5 million in 2HFY25, primarily attributed to declining revenues and...